Authentic Thai Pork Satay & Peanut Sauce

Grilled satay skewers served with peanut sauce can be found all over the streets of Thailand. And even though I know chicken satay gets all the love in N. America, 99% of the satay you’ll find in Thailand is made from pork!

The peanut sauce in this recipe is the real deal, no peanut butter, no soy sauce, it’s the real stuff I grew up eating. It’s so good that you can put it on anything you like, but FYI, in Thailand, this peanut sauce is only used on satays. No, Thai people do not put peanut sauce on everything despite what you might have been led to believe!

Ingredients & Notes

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need and important notes about them. For amounts, check out the full recipe card below.

• Pork loin, cut into 2-cm thick chops. Pork loin is common in Thailand but you can also use pork shoulder for a fattier cut, or pork tenderloin for something more tender. If you’re using other kinds of meats, see my chicken satay recipe and my beef satay recipe. (see note)
• Coconut milk, for basting
• Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 2-3 hours. If you forget to do this, it’s not a big deal, just make sure you place a strip of folded foil under the skewer handles to protect them from heat (see video tutorial), and make sure the tip is not exposed.
• White bread, for serving, yes! You might be surprised but in Thailand it is very common for satay to come with toasted white bread. You dip the bread in the peanut sauce and eat alongside the satay, and if there’s any sauce left after the satays are gone, use the bread to sop up the rest!

Satay Marinade

• Coriander seeds, toasted
• Cumin seeds, toasted
• White peppercorns
• Lemongrass, finely chopped
• Galangal, minced (optional)
• Chopped fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground clove
• Brown sugar, or white sugar
• Salt
• White vinegar
• Coconut milk

Real Thai Peanut Sauce

• Red curry paste, store bought is just fine. I recommend Maeploy, Aroy-D or Namjai. See this post for my review of different Thai curry pastes. You can also try using panang curry paste or massaman curry paste for a sauce with aroma of dry spices.
• Coconut milk, see my post for how to choose the best coconut milk.
• Roasted peanuts. I highly recommend buying raw peanuts and roasting them yourself for the best flavour. You can roast them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size, and stirring halfway in between. Check them early and often to prevent burning.
• Toasted white sesame seeds, this is optional for added aroma, you can also substitute more peanuts.
• Fish sauce
• Finely chopped palm sugar, learn more about palm sugar here.
• Tamarind paste, store bought in a tub or homemade using this recipe. If buying, make sure it is tamarind from Thailand, which may be labeled as “concentrate”. Learn more about tamarind here.

Quick Cucumber Pickle (Ajaad)

Ajaad is a quick pickle that is served alongside satay as a palate cleanser to cut the richness of the satay. If you’re feeling lazy you can also serve Western cucumber pickle or gherkins instead.

• Cucumber
• Shallots
• Slices of Thai chilies, jalapenos, serranos, or fresno chilies, any kind of peppers will work here, and you can choose spicy or mild ones.
• White vinegar
• Granulated sugar
• Salt

How to Make Thai Satay & Peanut Sauce

Here are all the steps to make this recipe. If this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success. The full recipe is in the recipe card below.

1. Cut the pork chops in half along the length of the fatty rind.
2. Then slice each piece along the short side into ¼-inch thick pieces.
3. Grind coriander, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until very fine, then add galangal, lemongrass and fresh turmeric (if using); pound until fine.
4. Add turmeric powder (if using), cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, salt, vinegar, coconut milk, and water; stir to mix well.

1. Pour the satay marinade over the meat, massage with your hands, making sure that no pieces of meat are stuck together. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight. (If you’re in a rush, a 20 minute marinade will also be fine).
2. Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce by grinding the peanuts and sesame seeds (if using) into a fine meal in a food processor (do not let it become peanut butter).
3. Reduce ¼ cup of the coconut milk by about half, until it is quite thick.
4. A curry paste to the coconut milk and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until it is very thick.

1. Stir in the rest of the coconut milk, ground peanuts and sesame seeds, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind paste.
2. Simmer for a few more minutes until it has thickened into a dip consistency, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching. You might even see red oil floating on top, that is a good sign. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
   *If you want to make the cucumber pickle, make the pickling liquid now by combining all ingredients and cook just until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
3. Skewer the meat onto bamboo skewers, about 3 pieces to each skewer, and lay them flat on a tray and brush the top side of the skewers with coconut milk.
4. Place the skewers on the grill, coconut-nut-milk-side-down, and brush the top side with coconut milk. Placing aluminum foil under the skewer handles will prevent the skewers from burning.

1. Flip the skewers and grill the other side just until done. These are small and thin skewers and should only take a couple of minutes to grill, so watch them carefully and do not overcook them!
2. If making ajaad, place the cucumber, shallots, and chilies into a small serving bowl and pour the cooled vinegar mixture over it.